Select Committee opens oversight hearings on Texas Regulatory Consistency Act and Tort Claims Act

The House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight convened a two‑part interim hearing focused on the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (TRCA) and the Texas Tort Claims Act (TTCA). Chair BRYANT told members the committee would examine preemption implementation, litigation stemming from TRCA and whether amendments are needed to the TTCA to address modern liabilities and gaps in accountability.

Invited witnesses included James Quintero, policy director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Bill Longley, general counsel for the Texas Municipal League, who offered sharply contrasting takes on TRCA's effects. The Attorney General's office and trial‑lawyer representatives then outlined the TTCA's waiver of sovereign immunity and argued over whether longstanding limits and procedural rules remain fit for purpose. "The Tort Claims Act is a limited waiver of immunity," said Will Wozdorf of the Attorney General's office, urging caution on broad changes because of potential fiscal exposure. Craig Eiland of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association urged legislative fixes to address what he described as statutory anomalies and outdated damage limits.

Why it matters: members pressed witnesses on enforcement mechanics (notices, attorney general authority, and proposed penalties), the practical impact on cities and small businesses, and the TTCA's consequences for victims seeking recovery. Public witnesses documented local consequences from both laws, from energy‑lease moratoria to alleged deprivations of property. The committee closed with multiple requests for follow‑up material (counts of notices, inventories of potentially preempted ordinances, and comparative data on TTCA limits) and proposals for potential statutory clarifications in 2027.